The Treatment of Gender Violence in the Spanish Administration of Justice. Implementation and Effectiveness of LO 1/2004

The objective of this communication is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the successive legal reforms on gender violence including the Spanish Ley Orgánica 1/2004, of 28 December, on Integral Protection Measures against Gender Violence. A perspective of 12 years from the passing of the LO 1/2004 will assess the progress of its implementation, in particular its effectiveness in the fight against gender violence. More specifically, the paper will address the evolution of data related to the treatment of gender violence in the Administration of Justice from a comprehensive approach that will integrate both judicial decisions and the activity of the various organizations and people that work in the implementation of the law in this area.

With regard to the methodology, the approach will integrate theory and empirical research. In relation to this latter dimension, both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used. In relation to the quantitative methods I will re-analyze the data of previous research (1999 to 2006). That information will be supplemented by data from secondary sources, since statistical progress in the evaluation of gender violence in recent years has been considerable (CGPJ, Observatorio Estatal de Violencia contra la mujer, etc.). Qualitative research will be completed with 2 focus groups and 8 semi-structured interviews.